Florence Welch had a near-death experience from a ruptured ectopic pregnancy in August 2023. That and the surgery that saved her life became her main inspirations for her new album, which came out on Halloween. Her album, “Everybody Scream,” deals with varying themes of life and death, along with her experiences as a female performer. Welch takes these life experiences and creates an album filled with comparisons to mythology, witchcraft and finding healing outside of modern medicine.
The album begins with the title track “Everybody Scream.” The instrumentals support the title, featuring screaming and slightly unsettling music before the lyrics begin. The meaning of “scream” shifts to take on a double meaning, expressing both yourself and desire when Welch sings “scream my name.”
“One of the Greats” continues with a self-empowering tone: “It must be nice to be a man and make boring music just because you can.” This song is focused on being a powerful and independent woman, and how that drives men crazy.
In “Witch Dance,” orchestral background vocals are used as a percussive element as the track dives into the theme of healed trauma, while conveying Welch’s feelings of damage. This song appears to be connected to a witch dance, a legend in which witches meet out in the woods to practice, dance and feast. This song appears to be connected to this legend because Welch sings about healing and becoming a better version of herself through mythical rituals.
“Sympathy Magic” is less raw than the first three songs, as Welch sounds more self-assured in the lyrics and instrumentals, especially when she starts belting and repeating, “So come on, come on, I can take/Give me everything you got/What else? What else? What else? What else?”
In "Perfume and Milk,” Welch keys in on the idea of rebirth. She connects it to changing seasons and medicine. It elaborates on how often people change, just like seasons — going around every year through nature being reborn and dying again and again.
In “Buckle,” Welch reveals that despite being adored by fans, all she longs for is attention from the one she loves. This song’s placement in the album is important. Despite her anger and rebirth, she still falls back into old feelings and emotions. The instrumentals are tender to support the vulnerability in her vocals and lyrics.
During “Kraken,” Welch embraces the side of herself that is dangerous and almost powerful. The song uses a metaphor with her being a kraken, too big and intimidating for anyone to truly get close to her. It helps the listeners understand that she isn’t necessarily herself when she’s performing; she puts on a strong, powerful persona and saves her softer side for her personal life.
In “The Old Religion,” Welch describes feeling out of control of her body, a reference to her ectopic pregnancy. This song makes the listener feel like they are running through a forest, hiding from something inescapable.
“Drink Deep” is teeming with allusions to different folklore. It sounds like a fever dream. Welch references her past with alcoholism and the loss of control she felt. She belts, “Yes, it came from me/It was made from me.”
In “Music by Men,” Welch ruminates on the struggles of real relationships, a stark contrast compared to the other songs in this album. She shares her fear of being vulnerable.
“You Can Have It All” is arguably the most emotional song of the album. With strong percussion, her powerful and raw vocals, Welch delivers a song filled with grief, rage and every emotion in between.
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“And Love” is a quiet and warming ending to an emotional album. She displays that love is not necessarily always found in the dramatic moments of life.
Overall, Welch’s “Everybody Scream” is an amazing display of emotion. Her ability to tell her stories through narratives is astonishing, and I can’t recommend the album enough.
Rating: 10/10
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